


No Turning Back

by fullmoonfinley



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Aftermath of Violence, Canon Divergence, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Parental Abuse, Regulus Black Fluff, Regulus Black x Reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 10:46:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17222564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullmoonfinley/pseuds/fullmoonfinley
Summary: Regulus invites the reader, his girlfriend, to live with him and his brother as she escapes her pure-blood family. Both of them are fueled to win the war. So, when they hear about a possible way to gain intel, they jump on it. The reader can't help but worry as she sends out the only person she has ever loved into the cruel, dangerous world, especially with her family of Death Eaters on her scent. What will the reader do when her love gets caught up in the turmoil? Will she be able to save him? Or will Regulus be another victim in what seems to be a never-ending war?





	No Turning Back

Regulus rushed through the front door of his flat. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure you were still behind him, then shuffled towards his bedroom door. From the moment the two of you had made it to the small, four-unit flat building, Reg had seemed on edge. It could have been the war, and his obsession with stopping the Dark Lord from coming to power. Or, it could have been the fact that he had never had a woman in his personal space before. Either way, it was strange watching the usually calm and collected wizard so strung out.  
Regulus slowly turned the knob on his front door. His wide eyes scanned the room around him and the hall beside him. What was he so worried about? Was someone else home?  
A door opened down the hall, answering your question. “Shit,” Regulus muttered, standing up straight as he rolled his eyes.   
“Hey there, little brother,” a slightly lower voice cooed from down the hall. That must have been Sirius, Regulus’ older brother who he had moved in with just a few months earlier. You remembered him from school a little bit, but you didn’t really interact with him. So, all you had to work with was what Regulus had told you, which was a crazy mix of some great and a lot of terrible. Over the four years that you had known Regulus, and the eight months that you had been an intimate relationship, as Reg called it, you had heard quite an earful about Sirius Orion Black.  
You flipped your Slytherin scarf over your shoulder. You saved it from school, since the ones your parents had gifted you weren’t warm enough for the usually frigid winter. If you were being honest, the inside of the flat wasn’t much warmer than the outside was. Odd.  
You took a few steps closer to Regulus, then slowly peered down the hall. Your eyes latched onto Sirius’ almost instantly.  
“Oh, Reggie. You didn’t tell me we had company!” Sirius took a few steps forward, grinning. “And I didn’t know you knew any women.”  
“Piss off, Sirius,” Regulus snapped. Sirius just chuckled as he studied you. His eyes lingered on your scarf.  
“Oh, it looks like the limit of one Slytherin in this flat has been breached. One of you is going to have to leave.” Sirius leaned against the wall and smirked. Wow, Reg was right. His brother really was an ass.  
“What a gentleman,” you muttered under your breath. “I feel so welcome.” Sirius furrowed his brow.  
“Well, you aren’t.”  
Laughing, you rolled your eyes. “Wow, Regulus. You said your brother could be a royal arse, but this is a bit more than I expected.” You crossed your arms. “Who died and made you king?” you sassed.  
Sirius scoffed, chuckling. “Wow, she’s a frisky one, Reggie. Where did you find her?”  
“Fuck off, Sirius. Really.” Regulus shot his older brother a death glare. “We’re just here to look into a few things.”  
“Huh, I’m sure you are.” Sirius wiggled his eyebrows and laughed. “I have to admit, she’s definitely not hard to look at. I’m almost jealous.” And, with that, Sirius approached you in his way to the kitchen. “Little Reggie, finally getting his first piece of hot arse—”  
“Fuck. Off.” You slipped your wand from your jacket and pointed it straight at Sirius’ face. He barely faltered, starring down at you with the same stupid grin. “You don’t need to try to impress me. You aren’t even close to impressive. Besides, I’m not here for you. I’m here for Regulus. So, keep your pathetic, pompous arse away from me if you’re going to be a bloody prat.” Sirius’ gaze flicked over to his brother, who stood in the doorway of his bedroom. Regulus’ face showed a hint of surprise, and a lot of pride. He knew you were a force to be reckoned with.   
“Look, Sirius, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. But, you don’t need to be so rude. You told me that if we found anyone fighting the war on our side, they were welcome here.” He sucked in a breath, maintaining eye contact with his older brother. “Y/N is not only my girlfriend, but she is escaping a family of Death Eaters. They were threatening her life. She’s brilliant with spells and curses, healing and otherwise. And, she wants to help.” Regulus took a step back into his room, gesturing for you to follow him. “She needs a safe place to stay for a while.”  
Sirius’ expression hardened a bit. “How are you on tracking?” His whole demeanor completely changed. You studied his silver gaze, just a little brighter than his younger brother’s, and offered a hint of a smile.   
“Very good. Tracking, defending, healing.” You nodded. “I taught myself. I’ve healed a few since I got involved in the war, including your brother.” You smirked a little, then turned to Regulus. “More than once.”  
Sirius turned to his little brother, then back to you. “He never mentioned it.” Then, Sirius nodded. “Alright. If you can make yourself useful, you’re welcome. But, the moment I even think you’re a spy, you’re done for.”  
You laughed. “Deal, arse.”  
**  
You flipped through yesterday’s newspaper, searching for anything out of the ordinary. It was something you had done for months. Regulus thought you were bat shit for looking at something so conspicuous. But, when you found a hidden message within an otherwise normal article, Regulus completely changed his mind.  
“Here!” you exclaimed, pointing at the newspaper. “This article, by—” You narrowed your gaze at the paper. “Merlin’s beard.”  
“What?” Regulus perked up, scrambling off the floor to join you on his bed. He leapt onto the large mattress, leaning his head on your shoulder as he read with you.  
“Reg, this article is by Anza Y/L/N. That’s my sister.” You scanned over the first few paragraphs again. “It keeps mentioning an old building out near my parent’s home. I know it’s abandoned, but they are talking about an open house next weekend. They say it’s been renovated by the new owner.”   
Regulus nestled in face into your neck, then sighed. “Who is the new owner?”  
You shook your head. “It doesn’t say. It just says that the old home has be ‘restored to its original glory’ and that there will be a get together to ‘lighten the mood in these darkened times’.”   
Regulus let out a deep sigh, then lifted his head. “Well, that sounds normal.” You nodded. “Why would someone open their house to just anyone, especially with everything that’s going on.”  
You grinned. “Unless it’s a trap.” Regulus turned to you, raising an eyebrow.  
“A trap?”  
You lowered the paper onto your lap. “An open house in what was known as an abandoned house until now? I remember playing with my sister on that property as a child. We went inside a few times. Even though it was technically abandoned, it was still furnished.”   
Regulus’ raised an eyebrow. “What were you doing there?” Regulus asked, folding his legs under him. His nearly shoulder length curls fell into his face, making you smile. You reached out, reining a few strands and tucking them behind his ear. He pulled back just slightly, then smiled.  
“I wasn’t ever sure why we were there. I just remember my parents going into the building, and my sister and I would stay outside to play with a few of the other children. I only went when my sister and I were really young. Once Anza was old enough to watch me, we stayed home.” You could see the wheels turning behind Regulus’ eyes. He was starting to piece together what you were saying.  
“And your parents went inside, along with other people?” You nodded.  
“At first, I thought someone owned the place. But, I later learned that the owner of the property had died almost ten years before I had even stepped foot onto the property.” You smiled at him. “So, why on earth would my parents and other families be in that home?”  
Regulus smiled. “They were meeting in secret. Who would look in an abandoned home that far out? Especially when the surrounding homes were owned by more elite families?”   
“Exactly.” You leaned over and pressed a light kiss onto Regulus’ lips. He wasn’t much for affection, mainly due to the fact that no one had ever loved him properly. But, he wasn’t against it, not in the least. It was just foreign to him. So, you remained patient, and slowly taught him what it meant to be truly loved.   
Regulus let out a deep sigh, then leaned back onto the bed. He sprawled out beside you and crossed his legs. “So, you thinking that we should go to the open house? See if it’s really a party or if it’s some sort of Death Eater trap?”  
You nodded. “Yeah. I think so. But, someone might recognize me, especially if they knew my parents. I don’t look much different. Besides, my sister wrote the article. She might be there.” Regulus sat back up and cleared his throat.  
“I can go. Even if someone knows me or my parents, they may not recognize me. I look very different now.” He smiled to himself, tucking his mass of curls behind his ears. “They would recognize Sirius in an instant. I’m not the same scrawny little boy I used to be.”  
Your heart pinged a little at the thought of Regulus walking into that party alone. “You’ll have someone to go with you, right? It’s not a good idea to go in there on your own, especially if someone does recognize you.”  
Regulus bit his lower lip. “I have a few of Sirius’ friends who I can ask. Most of them are much nicer than Sirius can be, at least towards me.” Regulus smiled, which was something he was doing more of these days. “Sirius just likes to show off.”  
“Should we tell him?” you inquired, peering off towards the door.   
Regulus’ arm snaked around you waist and pulled you back. You both slammed against the plush mattress, making you squeal. He wrapped both arms around you and tugged you close against him. His charcoal gaze slowly scanned over you.   
“We should, but later.” Regulus leaned in and rubbed his nose lightly against yours. “Nothing is going to be done tonight. It can wait a little while.” His lips landed on yours, awkwardly at first, but he soon gathered up enough confidence to press a little harder. You smiled against his lips and wrapped your arms around him.   
“Someone’s getting the hang of this relationship thing, huh?” you teased. A thin line of pink ghosted over Regulus’ paper white cheeks, making you chuckle.  
“Well, I’ve been waiting years for you to be mine. I’m just finally getting used to the fact that you are mine now.” Regulus’ cheeks blushed a little darker. Damn, he was adorable when he did that.  
“Yours, huh? Eight months and you’re staking claim?” you played. But poor Regulus just widened his gaze, obviously not understanding your sarcasm. Not that he didn’t get or often use sarcasm. There were times when he just took a while to realize that you weren’t backing off like he feared.   
Regulus chuckled nervously. “Is that too soon? I mean, I think you seem rather happy overall.”  
“I am, Reg. I really am.” Regulus pulled you flush against him, smiling.   
“Excellent.” He licked his lips, his eyes darkening a little. “Now, I heard Sirius leave about twenty minutes ago—”  
“He left?” you blurted, stunned. “I didn’t hear him.”  
Regulus snorted a chuckle through his nose. “Call it stupid sibling intuition, and incredible hearing. But, he is probably at Remus’. He’ll probably be there all night.” Regulus nibbled nervously on his lower lip, making your skin prickle.   
“And?” you teased. You yelped as Regulus suddenly pulled you on top of him, keeping his hands on your hips.  
“And, I have you all to myself.” His fingers tightened on your hips. “I’d like to take advantage of that.” He winked, making your heart patter. You hadn’t seen this side of him, at least not this bold. Leaning down, you brushed your lips over his.  
“Then do it.”  
**  
You slipped out of Regulus’ room and headed for the kitchen. He assured you, despite what Sirius may say to you, that you were welcome to anything. You weren’t able to pack much when you fled your parent’s home. So, you cozied up in one of Reg’s jumpers and a pair of his sweatpants. They almost fit you perfectly, which worked well for you. But, eventually, you were going to have to find some more clothes for yourself.  
Once you made it into the kitchen, you spotted the kettle on the stove. Tea sounded amazing right then, especially in the frigid house. A small part of you wondered why the two men didn’t keep the heat on. But, as long as you had clothes and hot drinks, it didn’t matter too much to you.  
The front door opened the second you lit the stove. Sirius must have been home from visiting with his pals. You peered up at the clock. 11:35pm. Later than you thought it was, but earlier than you expected Sirius to be back.   
“Evening,” Sirius greeted, stretching out his word. “Cozy?” His eyes scanned up and down your attire. You just rolled your eyes.  
“As cozy as I can be. At least it’s clean. I couldn’t fit much in my rucksack before I had to leave my parent’s place.” you muttered coldly. “Do you want some tea?”  
Sirius smiled and leaned against the counter. “Uh, sure. Thanks.” He seemed softer than earlier, less abrasive. Maybe it was the booze you could smell off him. Or, he was just accepting your existence. You didn’t want to think he was that rude. But, from what you had heard over the years, he wasn’t the most snuggly person. Not in Regulus’ eyes, anyway.  
You scanned over the cabinets, trying to figure out where the mugs must have been hiding. You could feel Sirius’ gaze staring through you.  
“Third cabinet on the top,” he instructed with a smirk. “Some of them are a little dodgy, so be careful. The dark green ones are good. Remus gave me those when I moved in.” You nodded to the slightly older man and grabbed three dark green mugs.  
“So, you coming to terms with living with another Slytherin?” you asked playfully.   
“Yeah. I’m fine with it.” He shifted his weight. “I wasn’t mad to begin with. I just like giving my brother a hard time. He knows I love him.”  
“He does. And he cares about you. He’s just a little stand-offish when it comes to emotion.” You smiled, watching the steam start to slip out of the kettle. “But you would know that more than anyone.”  
Sirius smiled, staring at you. “So, you’re Y/N Y/L/N,” he confirmed. You snapped your gaze to him.   
“You’ve heard of me?”  
Sirius rolled his eyes and nodded. “I live with Reggie, don’t I? We talk more than it seems. He’s fond of you. Very fond. Like, rest of his life fond.” Sirius pushed himself off the counter. “I’ve actually never seen him so fond of something—someone—in his life.”  
“Honestly? It doesn’t seem like it takes too much.” The tea kettle squealed beside you. You flicked off the burner and removed it. You poured the water over the tea bags in each mug. “Milk? Sugar?” you asked, reaching for the small sugar container beside the stove. You opened it, finding it mostly filled with small sugar cubes.  
“Just milk. I’ll get it. Reg likes—”  
“Two sugars, no milk. I know.” You smiled as Sirius stood beside you, pouring milk into his mug. Then, he lifted the carton, offering you some. You nodded, allowing him to splash a tiny bit of milk into your tea.  
“You know how he takes his tea. You two must be close.” Sirius grinned, taking his mug into his hands.  
“Well, I’ve known him well for at least four years. We were, what, fifteen? So, closer to five now, I guess. We were both in Slytherin, but he was so shy that I never really got to know him. Then, he sat beside me on the first day of class, fifth year. We started talking little by little. And, well, here we are. I guess you could say we’ve been ‘together’ for about eight or nine months now.” Sirius took a sip of his tea, nodding.  
“That’s when he perked up a bit.” Sirius cleared his throat. “Like I said, he’s fond of you. I’ve never seen him so content.” He turned his whole body towards you. “I think we got off on the wrong foot. You’ve made my little brother a more pleasant person. So, thanks, I guess.”   
Your heart swelled in your chest. You knew Regulus was happy with you. But, hearing it from someone else made it seem just a little more real. He made you equally as happy. You adored his quirks and his obsessively driven personality. There really wasn’t a part of him you would change.  
“I’m just being me. No need for thanks,” you whispered. “I better get Regulus his tea before it gets cold. I’ll see you in the morning?” Sirius nodded, raising his mug to you in thanks. Then, you turned away, your shoulders feeling a little lighter after calming the waters with the older Black.  
“Hey, Y/N,” Sirius called after you. Peering over your shoulder, you gazed over at him. “If you need any extra clothes, I’ve got some old t-shirts that you can steal. They may be a little bit big. But, they’re still good.”   
You nodded. “Thanks Sirius. I’ll let you know.” And, with that, you headed back to Regulus.  
**  
Regulus adjusted his dress blazer as he stared into the mirror, frowning. You tiptoed up to him and pressed a kiss into his cheek.   
“Very handsome. Maybe you can flirt your way into taking down the enemy,” you teased. You twirled your fingers into his hair and grinned. “Why don’t you get this dressed up for me?”  
Regulus huffed, rolling his shoulders. “It reminds me of home. Mum and Dad had a lot of parties. We always had to wear stuff like this.”   
“Well, you look handsome. Maybe I can help you make some new memories? We can go out when things calm down?” You furrowed your brow as you smoothed a wrinkle. “Have you ever seen me in a dress?”  
Regulus stilled. “I don’t think so?” He spun on his heels, facing you. “But, I bet you’re beautiful.” You blushed at his sweetness. It wasn’t like him to say something so emotional. However, he seemed to be breaking out of his shell a little.   
“Regulus?” you heard Sirius’ friend Remus call out from the other side of the door. “Are you ready to go?”  
Regulus turned for the door. “I’ll see you this evening.” He leaned down as kissed you lightly. “I love you,” he whispered softly. Then, he opened the door, and followed Remus out of the flat.  
**  
It was just after seven in the evening, and your stomach was starting to turn. Remus and Regulus were expected to be back over an hour ago. You were sure that they were fine. But, something deep inside you churned with dread.   
Sirius noticed your fret and cleared his throat. “They’ll be back soon. They’re both smart, and they both have someone waiting for them.” You nodded, staring out the foggy window onto the small town. From the fourth floor, there was actually a good view of the surrounding area. It was safe, off the ground. But, if the people weren’t inside, it wouldn’t do much good.  
“I know. I’m just still getting used to him going out there like that. I know he’s done it. But, I just wasn’t aware.” You lowered your head, trying to hide your face. “I know how vicious the other side can be. Luckily my family didn’t care enough to meet Reg. So, if they are there, they won’t know him from anyone else.”  
Sirius lowered himself onto the large couch against the far wall of the living room and sighed. You barely knew the man, but you could tell he was worried too. The person he cared about most was out there too, along with the only family he really had left. And there was nothing either of you could do.  
You turned back to the window. “Um, Sirius. Is this your owl?” A tall, dark brown owl balanced on the window sill, gripping a small envelope in his beak.  
Sirius shot up from the couch and raced to the window. “That’s James Potter’s owl.” The moment he opened the window, he snatched the letter from the owl, closing the window before the creature could come in. He ripped open the lip of the barely sealed envelope and unfolded the small paper inside.  
“Sirius and Y/N, come quick. Something went wrong. Remus is here. It’s bad. James,” Sirius read aloud. “Fuck!” Sirius screamed as he raced for the door.  
“Sirius wait a moment—”  
“Remus is hurt. We need to get to James and Lily’s now.” His tone was almost vicious. Letting out a deep breath, you stood your ground.  
“He has people with him, Sirius. We’ll get there. You just need to breathe—wait. Remus is there?” Your eyes widened. “Nothing about Regulus?” Sirius stared at you the same way you stared at him. Then, he turned for the door again.  
“We need to go.”  
“How? Walking? That will take ages. They’re almost on the other side of town.” You extended a shaky hand, forcing yourself to smile in hopes of calming the stressed man. “We’ll apparate.” His eyes locked on yours. Then, he nodded, taking your hand. Within a second, the two of you were gone.  
**  
James was right; it was bad. Remus was laid down on the couch with a concerned Lily hovering over him. Sirius shot over to his side, falling to his knees as he took in the horrid site of his battered boyfriend.   
Remus’ face was covered in blood, but you could tell that most of it was coming from his left cheek. A huge gash stretched from his upper lip to the bottom of his ear. And it was deep. Another large gash cut through his two layers of clothing and deep into his lower gut. Blood still oozed from the wound, dripping onto the dark tan sofa.  
You scanned over the man, who was already covered with scars, and checked for other injuries. There was no use trying to heal the ones you saw if a hidden one was doing the most damage.  
“Y/N! C’mon! You said you could heal!” Sirius screamed. Tears were welling up in his eyes as he glared at you. “Please!” You nodded, pulling out your wand. You knelt down to the right of Sirius.  
The moment you started muttering your healing spells, Remus stiffened. Sirius’ eyes shot even wider, but you turned to him, nodding at his reassuringly.   
“It’s okay. It’s normal. It doesn’t feel good. But, it will help.” Without waiting for a reply, you started again, shooing everyone else away.  
Sirius stood, still shaky. He took a few steps back to give you some space. He stood beside his friend James, who rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.   
“He’ll be okay, mate. He’s been through some ugly stuff before. Besides, it looks like she knows what she’s doing.” Sirius nodded at his friend, but his expression didn’t change. “So, Reggie’s girl is living with you now? I’m surprised you let another Slytherin into your place.”  
Sirius snickered, wiping a tear. “That was my first thought. But, she’s actually much cooler than my brother. She’s good to him. He deserves that.”   
You smiled as you listened to Sirius whisper to his friend, using that positivity to fuel your enchantments, and push back the thought that Regulus was nowhere to be found. Knowing him, he was hiding out somewhere and unable to get to you right now. You just hoped that you were right.  
“Has anyone seen Reggie?” Sirius asked, making your stomach churn.   
“No,” James replied. “But Peter and Marlene are out there. If they find him, they’ll bring him straight here.”   
You nearly jumped out of your skin when Remus sucked in a sharp breath and opened his eyes. You leaned back a little, expecting Sirius to rush right in. He did just that.  
“Remus! Merlin, are you okay?” he pleaded at your side. Remus panted, trying to get his bearings. He stared up at you, then turned his gaze to Sirius.  
“Regulus. They got him. I don’t know who they are,” he huffed. “But, t-they have him.”  
“What did they look like?” you interrogated. He turned to you and shook his head.   
“I know one of them was a young blonde, maybe twenty-two or twenty-three. She was tall, thin.” Your eyes widened as you shot up and furiously searched the room.  
“What is it?” Lily asked at your side.   
“The local paper, the one with the article for the party. Do you still have it?”  
Sirius scowled. “I hardly think the article is going to help—”  
“My sister. She wrote the article. She’s tall, blonde, and a little over three years older than me. Her twenty-third birthday was two weeks ago.” You perked up as James handed you the paper. “If she wrote the paper, she would be there. I’m sure of it. Her photo is right—” He flipped thorough the pages before, “Here! Was this her?” You held the black and white photo in front of him. He studied the girl as she smiled and peered around in the moving picture.  
Remus nodded. “That’s her.”  
You spun to James and Lily. “Her name is Anza Y/L/N—”  
“Y/L/N? That rich family at the edge of town?” Lily asked. “Even my family has heard of them, and they’re muggles.”  
You nodded. “That’s my family. Death Eaters, even my sister. My parents are vicious, proud fuckers. A typical pure-blood family.” You glanced over at Sirius, who nodded. “If my sister took him, I might know where he is.” The moment you thought about your parent’s dungeon, tears threatened to fall. You had watched a few servants and house elves meet their fate within those stone walls.  
Sirius locked his eyes on you. “Then we find your sister.” He stood to his feet and turned to James. “Where is your family’s house, Y/N?”  
You shot to your feet, shaking your head. “No, I’m going with you. If Regulus is worse off than this, he will need me—”  
“Remus needs you know. James and I can get Regulus here once we find him. You can’t leave Remus like this. We may not find Regulus right away.” Sirius voice cracked at his brother’s name. Sure, you wanted Regulus in your arms that very moment. But, you knew he was strong. A lot stronger than your sister. Even with your parents involved, Regulus could make it through a lot more than most gave him credit for. You knew that, from what he told you.  
The other person who knew that was Sirius.  
Clenching your fists, you nodded at the older Black. “Go. Find him. Go up the main road until you’re three kilometers out of town. Go right at the fork, then take the first left. Once you see Whomping Willow on the left, you’ve reached the property. The house is another half kilometer in.” You turned to James. “Be careful. My parents raise hounds. And trust me, they aren’t poodles.”  
James made his way over to Sirius and nodded. Then, the two of them made their way to the door, where they could apparate with fewer barriers in their path.  
**  
Remus finally sat up on his own after a few hours. Lily had handed him some chocolate, which he scarfed down without hesitation. That was apparently his weakness. You’d have to remember that.  
The wound on Remus’ stomach, which was much worse than the one on his face, was healing well. You figured it would heal on its own from here, since it was no longer exposing his insides. The wound on his face was just another scar to add to the mix.  
You leaned forward as your emotions got the worst of you. Remus turned his head and watched as tears leaked down your cheeks.  
“Y/N, they will find him. He’ll be okay. He’s probably the toughest of all of us.” Remus rested his hand on your shoulder and smiled.  
“I won’t know that until he’s here.” You leaned away, shooting him an emotionless glare. “I know what my sick family is capable of. I’ve seen what they’ve done to people.”  
“But Regulus is a powerful wizard. He and Sirius survived a lot at home. More than most people should ever have to. And he has something worth fighting for.” Remus held his stomach as he slowly stood. “Smells like Lily is up to something in the kitchen.” He offered you his hand. “You should eat something. You’ll need strength for then Regulus comes back.” You nodded. There was no fucking way you were hungry. But, Remus was right. If you were going to be able to use any more magic, you were going to need to eat.   
When you entered the kitchen, you saw Lily shuffling for plates as a spoon slowly turned inside a pot on the stove. Whatever it was, it smelled amazing. She turned and smiled when she saw Remus standing.  
“Well, look at you,” he beamed. “Sit down before you fall over, Remus. I have some warm soup here for you. I found noodles that I remember buying last week, and we have what was left of the vegetables in there. It’s not much, but it tastes good.”  
“If it tastes half as good as it smells, it’s perfect.” You tried to keep your voice cheerful as he grabbed the swirling spoon and dished out two bowls. Lily was a kind soul, from what you gathered having only met her twice. Honestly, everyone Regulus surrounded himself with were decent people. And that made the horrendous waves of emotions racing through you ease just a tiny bit.  
Lily lowered a bowl in front of you with a spoon already inside. You nodded in thanks as you peered up at Remus, who was already shoveling the food into his mouth. A ghost of a smile cursed your lips as you watched what was quickly becoming your new family carry on in the madness surrounding you all.  
“So, Y/N, you and Reg met in school?” Lily asked, settling down beside Remus at the table. You nodded, stirring your soup.  
“Yeah. We did. But, I didn’t get to know him until fourth year. Since then, though, we’ve been close. And now, well, we’re really close.” You chuckled, taking a small bite of your meal. You were glad the soup was actually better than it smelled. That kicked up a small fraction of your inexistent appetite.  
“I can tell. I almost feel like I knew you before I met you. He has nothing but great things to say. He was worried about you, you know. When you were with your family.” She lowered her head. “Before you left.”  
You sighed, slowly lowering your bowl. “Yeah, I know. But, I’m away from them now. I just hope he can get away from them too.” You turned your head away, fighting tears. Lily noticed you were upset and quickly stood.  
“Y/N! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” She rushed to your side while Remus leaned a little closer over the table. Lily leaned down, pulling your hair from your face. “We’ll get him back. We got Remus—”  
“I just wish people would quit telling me that! ‘We’ll get him back’ and ‘he’s tough’. I know that! I’ve just never cared about someone like I care about him.” You stared up at the two of them. “He just needs to be okay. I-I don’t know what to do if he isn’t.”  
A crash in the other room startled the three of you, followed by a loud pop. Before you could register what was going on, you were on your feet and racing into the other room. Marlene and Peter were standing against the side wall, staring down in horror while James and Sirius slumped a very bloody Regulus onto the couch. James glanced up at you for a moment.  
“Y/N! Quick!” In a second, you were right in front of them, kicking the wooden coffee table away to clear more space. Pulling out your wand, you scanned over Regulus.  
“Is he breathing?!” you shouted. You stared between James and Sirius. Sirius rested his hand on his brother’s stomach, only to have it saturated with blood.  
“I can’t tell!”  
You pushed his arm, almost knocking him off the sofa. “Move!” You hovered your ear over his mouth, but heard nothing. “Sirius, pull out your wand. Now!” He obeyed you, watching as you blew a breath into Regulus’ mouth. Almost instantly after you blew into his mouth, blood began to spirt from his side. “Anywhere you see blood leaving his body, use the spell Vulnera Sanentur. Go!” You breathed into Regulus’ mouth again, your tears staining his dirt-covered skin. But, you continued, and Sirius continued beside you.   
You spotted Remus standing over Regulus’ obviously broken leg and pulled out his wand. “Ferula.” Good, someone else remembered the healing spells from Charms class.  
Another minute passed, and you still heard nothing from Regulus. He wasn’t breathing, but he was bleeding. That meant his heart was still going.  
As Sirius continued over every gash and he could find. You held your wand over Regulus’ throat and closed your eyes. “Anapneo.” Sirius and you both jumped when Regulus sucked in a breath. His eyes hot wide open for a moment, then closed again. But, he continued to breathe. It was shallow, but it was something.  
A few more minutes passed, and Sirius stopped, leaning back against the tipped over coffee table. You peered down at your boyfriend and let out a deep sigh. He was breathing, and his gashes weren’t as bad as they were when he got there. At least, the big ones weren’t. You smiled, glancing over at an exhausted Sirius.  
“Shit, he was bad when we found him. I didn’t even know he was alive.” His voice shook.   
“He was choking on his own blood, and he had a punctured lung. That’s why the blood came out when I blew into his mouth. It shot down his throat, and out of his lungs. But, his throat filled up before he could take another breath.” You explained. Everyone in the room stared at you in awe and shock. “I-I was studying to be a healer—” Before you could finish your sentence, Regulus started to convulse right before your eyes.   
“What’s happening?!” Sirius shouted, launching to his feet. You mimicked him, rushing to Regulus’ side.   
“He’s seizing!” You cut your last word short as you fought the urge to vomit. “It can happen when someone is—” You stopped, unable to answer. Instead, you raised your want to his temple and began whispering another spell. He slowly calmed, then finally stilled. Sirius stared down at him with the widest eyes you had ever seen.   
“The Cruciatus Curse. If someone is subjected to the Curciatus Curse for too long, they can tremor or have seizures.” Remus completed your earlier explanation. “If they’re lucky.” You closed your eyes, but the urge was too strong. You rushed to the bathroom down the hall. Sirius hurried after you.  
You made it to the toilet before what little food was in your stomach left you. You heaved for a few minutes, then finally settled. Sirius stood beside you, rubbing your back.  
“You going to be okay? You know, this is how it started with Lily a few months ago.” He shot you a suspicious look, but you shook your head. He let out a sigh, then smiled.  
“Don’t worry. It’s not that. But, yeah, I’m okay. It’s just different when you see someone you love so much look like that. I didn’t want to think that he was tortured that badly. But I knew deep down that he was. That’s how my family rolls.” You shrugged, leaning your head against the wall.  
“Your sister was there. She fought back, but she’s still alive. Her friends are too.” Sirius slid down the wall, taking a seat right beside you. His shoulder leaned against yours as he handed you a wet rag. “There was a man her age, brown hair, tall. And an older woman, black hair, maybe approaching fifty. Sharp blue eyes.”  
You sighed, wiping your mouth. “The older woman is my aunt, Una. She’s a mean bitch. She would watch my sister and I when we were young. The man must be Spencer, her son. I was supposed to marry him.” You giggled, making Sirius laugh.   
“Good to know my family wasn’t the only one like that.” Sirius cringed.  
“My parents wanted to keep the bloodline pure. I’m sure if they were half-way decent people, they wouldn’t have been opposed to Reg. He’s a pureblood too.” You rolled your eyes. “I just never thought I would be with one, no offense.”  
Sirius shook his head. “Hey, I’m not offended if you aren’t.” He smiled. “And as long as Regulus is happy, I don’t care who he’s with. I’m thrilled that he found someone smart and talented, pureblood or not.” He laughed. “My parents would have been pleased to hear at least one of us is going to marry a pureblood.”  
You laughed, then froze. “Marry? Who says Regulus is going to marry me?” Sirius cleared his throat.  
“Well, uh, I mean, you two are fond of each other. I don’t see you two parting ways anytime soon. So, if you two are into that sort of thing, it might happen.” He winked, then raised to his feet and extended his hand. You took it, slowly rising onto your shaky legs. “There’s mouthwash under the sink.” You nodded, thanking him. Then, you watched him sneak of into the hall, leaving you with a smile on your face.  
**  
When you had cleaned yourself up a bit, you returned to the living room to find the sofa empty. Lily scrubbed it, flicking her wand every few seconds, then frowning. She turned to you and smiled.  
“Sirius and Remus moved him to Remus’ room. Remus is in there with him, and James. I think Sirius passed out on our bed.” She turned back to the couch and frowned. “Blood is so hard to get out, even with the right spells.” She shook her head. “But, no matter. It will come out eventually.”  
You chuckled. “Do you need any help?”   
She shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine.” She smiled, nodding to the hall. “Go be with him. First door on the left, just passed the washroom.”  
You turned, following her directions until you reached James, who stood against the door frame. He patted you lightly on the back as passed.   
Regulus was resting comfortably on the bed, still unconscious but otherwise looking much better. He was still sporting his bloody clothes from earlier, but it appeared that his wounds were healed a bit. You had to admit, Sirius did well under pressure.  
You lowered yourself onto the bed beside him, resting a hand on his. Then, you slipped your wand from your sweater and tapped it against his bloody clothes. “Tergeo.” The dried blood surrounding his wounds suddenly started to vanish.  
“I may have some extra clothes you can change him into. Those look pretty bad. I mean, they will probably be far too big for him. But, they’re clean,” James suggested with a smile. You turned to him and nodded.  
“I think that would be good. I wouldn’t want to wake up in these, or dirty Remus’ sheets any more than they already are.” You shot a smile to Remus, who nodded in thanks.  
Once James fetched his clothes, everyone but Remus and you left Regulus’ side. James went on to talk to Marlene and Peter, who had just returned from their quest to find Reg. Remus helped you change Regulus into an oversized jumper and a baggy pair of jeans. They were only slightly loose around the waist, but they were far too long, causing you to chuckle.   
Remus stood against the wall near you while you sat on the bed, clenching Regulus’ hand in yours. His fingers were a lot warmer than they were a while before, which gave you a little bit of hope.  
“I hope he wakes up and looks at you first, and not me. I’d want to wake up to something beautiful, not this banged up old face,” Remus teased. You giggled, studying his scars. You had come to your own conclusion that he was a werewolf about thirty minutes into knowing him. He was reserved, but not fearful, so he wasn’t abused. And a lot of the scars were decades old, meaning he must have earned them when he was young. The only reasonable conclusion was that he had gathered them slowly over the years.  
“Did you and Sirius meet in school?” you asked casually, glancing up at Remus. He nodded, instantly smiling.  
“Yeah, first year. But, I started developing feelings for him during third year. It wasn’t until fifth year that he gathered up enough courage to kiss me. We’ve been together ever since.” He huffed out a laugh. “He even had the guts to tell his parents.” He frowned for a moment, then shook his head. “Needless to say, Orion and Walburga were less than please to hear that their oldest son was—”  
“Happy? Sounds like my parents.” You shot him a sweet smile, and he nodded.  
“Regulus was distant at first, mostly because he and Sirius didn’t get on much until the end of school. But, he’s always been very nice to me. Now, he’s as much my brother as he is Sirius’. And, I tease him less.” You both laughed for a while. Then, he pointed casually at Regulus. “I know you’ve heard this before, but he’s crazy about you. For such a quiet lad, I haven’t heard him talk so much about one thing.”  
“I’m sorry you’ve been subjected to such boring conversation,” you played. Remus rolled his eyes.   
“You’re good for him. And I can tell he’s good to you. Or, I would hope, or you still wouldn’t be here.” Remus winked. “And it wasn’t boring conversation. Anything that gets Reggie talking is great conversation.”  
Regulus stirred beside you, then squeezed your hand. You snapped your gaze over to him. “Reg?” you whispered. “Reg?” His eyes fluttered open, landing immediately on you. You smiled down at him, watching his movements. You had no idea how much damage was done to him, at least mentally. “Hey there, handsome.” Remus patted you on the shoulder, smiling, then slowly left the room.  
Regulus slowly rubbed your thumb over your hand. “Y/N,” he whispered. Tears welled up in your eyes at the sound of his voice.  
“Regulus. I’m so sorry. My family, I’m so sorry they did this to you.” Tears slowly fell down your cheeks, but you stayed strong, elated that he was awake.  
“You—Your family is here, n-not there,” he huffed. You lifted your free hand and gently leaned it against his cheek.  
“I love you,” you whispered. Then, you lifted your wand and began whispering healing spells against his wounds. He closed his eyes, but you would tell he was still conscious. You continued your work for another five minutes or so, then stopped, satisfied with his progress.  
Regulus opened his eyes again and smiled. “I told you, you’re the most brilliant witch I know.” You blushed and scoffed.  
“You were half-dead a few hours ago, and now you’re flirting? They must have scrambled your brain.” You smiled down at him. He reached for your hand and pulled it against his chest.  
“You’re the reason I’m alive, Y/N. You saved me.” You shook your head.  
“I’m the reason you were out there in the first place—”  
“Don’t. I would have b-been out there either way. This isn’t your fault. Besides, I g-gathered some interesting information while we were there. But, that’s a conversation for later. For now, I just want to be here with you.” He patted the bed beside him. You laid down, scooting close and wrapping your arm around his. He turned his head towards you, smiling. “I thought I wasn’t ever going to see you again. I thought I-I was going to die in that dungeon with so much left to say to you.” You turned to him, lifting an eyebrow.  
“Like what?”  
Regulus sighed. “How much I love you. I know I don’t say it like that often, but I mean it. I’ve meant it for a long time. Since school. But—”  
“You’re a man of few words, but a lot of emotion. I know. I get it.” You smiled, rubbing his arm.  
“And that’s just it. You get me, more than I think anyone ever has. You’re young, but wise beyond your years. I still believe to this day that you’re the brightest witch I’ve ever met. You saved me.” Regulus caught his breath for a moment, then continued. “How’s Remus?”  
You nodded. “Doing well, walking. He wasn’t hurt as badly. He’ll heal just fine.”  
“I’m sure you had helped with that.” Regulus’ eyes sparkled in the dim candlelight, making your heart race. You had never seen him like this. It was like all of the emotion you hadn’t seen in him was slowly leaking out of him. Not that you were complaining.  
“I know a lot of spells. You know that.” You gestured to Regulus’ chest and smiled. “But, your brother was brilliant too. And Remus. They all helped me heal you when you got here.” He smiled. “That leg may take a little time to heal properly. But, you’re here.”  
“With you.” He leaned his head towards yours. “You don’t know how happy I am. I keep thinking this is a dream. But, dreams aren’t usually this painful.”  
You raised up a little. “Are you in pain? I could—”  
“I’m fine. You relax and stay here with me. I-I have more to say.” You rolled onto your side and stared at him.  
“Like what? What’s got you so chatty?” you played.  
Regulus turned a little and winced. “Like I said, I didn’t think I was every going to see you again.” He rested his hand on yours. “I w-was going to wait. But, Sirius said I may not have time to wait. And, well, I see that now.”  
Your eyes widened as you studied his expression. His torn lips were curled into a slight smile as his eyes locked on yours. You ran a hand through his tangled hair. “Wait for what.”  
“Y/N, I need to ask you something. It may seem, well, a little forward. And, maybe a bit out of character. But, you live with me—with us—now, and I feel like from the moment you won Sirius over, it’s been as natural as breathing having you there with me. I love waking up to you in the morning, and falling asleep with you by my side. And when I was laying there in that dungeon, writhing in pain—” You winced at his words. “I thought about you. I wanted to make it home to you. To continue my life with you.”  
Your heart swelled at his confession. You had never heard him say anything like that before. It took him almost six months to say he loved you, even though you knew he did long before then. He just wasn’t an outwardly emotional man. So this, at least some of it, sounded like it was something he had been planning. He even said that Sirius told him not to wait, but for what?  
“Y/N,” you whispered, then closed his eyes. He was shaking a little. It wasn’t his weakness getting to him. No, this was nerves.   
“Regulus Arcturus Black, whatever it is you’re trying to say, don’t be afraid to say it. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” You held his face in your hand, your noses just inches away from each other. He held your gaze as he smiled, blushing just a little.  
“I wanted to make it back here so we could continue our lives together. So I could ask you to be my wife.” You froze, holding his gaze. His wife. He was asking you to be his wife. He moved his face just a little closer to yours and licked his lips. “Y/N, will you marry me?”  
Tears fell from your eyes as you lifted yourself up, peering down at the man you loved. He was different, normally reserved and a little cold. But, in this moment, he was everything. Perfect.  
You nodded your head, letting more tears fall onto the pillow below you. “Yes, I will.” Regulus’ face lightened like you had never seen before, his eyes glistening with tears you so rarely saw on him. You leaned down and kissed him gently, holding him lightly yet lovingly.  
Someone in the doorway cleared their throat, startling both of you. You turned to see Sirius leaning smugly against the doorframe with his arms lightly crossed over his chest. “Glad to hear you finally took my advice, little brother.” He winked at you, smiling. “Good to see you awake.”  
Regulus smiled lightly at his older brother and nodded. Then, Sirius turned for the hall, disappearing into the dark.  
You turned back to Reg, grinning from ear to ear. His breathing was a little more labored than it was before. But, with the excitement and current state of health, it didn’t surprise you.  
He tilted his head up at you and smiled. “I have a ring, you know. Sirius and Remus helped me with it. I honestly had no idea what I was searching for, or what was appropriate,” he rambled. “I just hope—” You shut him up with a kiss, giggling.  
“I’m sure it’s perfect.” He smiled, then closed his eyes for a moment. Now, he looked exhausted. And you didn’t blame him. “Get some rest. I’m going to go get something to eat. Do you want anything?” Regulus shook his head and smiled.  
“No. I’m fine.” You nodded then lifted off the bed, leaving your fiancé to rest and heal.  
**  
It took a little over a week for the rest of the wounds to heal, and for Regulus’ leg to be back to normal. The only thing left were a few soft scars along his torso, and one on the right side of his neck. Other than that, it was like nothing happened.  
Well, at least on the outside.  
Regulus had been having nightmares since the moment be got back. And, since you were right there beside him when he would scream out into the night, you were being affected. Not that it bothered you all that much. You just couldn’t stand to see him suffer. It was torturous seeing the man you loved scream and beg for his life.  
Remus and Sirius later learned that your sister and the rest of your family knew who he was from the beginning, before he had even arrived at the open house. You were right, as usual. It had been a set up. And they were hoping that Regulus would show up.  
How could you have been so stupid? Sending him off to something like that? You had practically handed him over to them.  
But Sirius told you not to think that way. Either way, it was going to happen to someone. And the fact that it happened to someone so strong was a blessing. Right, a real blessing.  
Regulus stirred a little beside you, curling up as his eyes fluttered. He was having another nightmare. So, you did what you had been doing the last three nights and started softly singing to him. Something about the sound of your voice calmed him, even when he was asleep.   
Once he had calmed down a little, you gently caressed his cheek with your thumb. He still stirred, but he was better than before. Each night was getting a little easier. And all you could do was hope that he would eventually push the painful memories behind him.  
“Y/N?” his voice rasped. His eyes fluttered open and locked on you. “Did I wake you?” You nodded but smiled sweetly.  
“It’s alright. I got about five hours of sleep before you started.” You kissed his forehead. “It’s happening later every night. Maybe soon you’ll be able to sleep through the night.  
Regulus nodded slowly. “I’m so sorry.” Your eyes widened.   
“What? Why? You have nothing to be sorry for.” He glanced away, tucking his face partially into the pillow. “I understand if you regret your decision.”   
You froze, letting out a gasp. Regret? Why the hell did you regret being there? You shook your head, pulling him as close as you could. “Why the hell would I regret my decision? Regulus Arcturus Black, I agreed to marry you. That means I’m here no matter what we go through. And we are going through this together. You aren’t alone. You never will be. I’ll always be here.”  
You glanced over at the gorgeous ring he had presented to you when you got back to the flat. It rested just beside you on the bedside table, shining in the light of a single candle. According to Sirius, it was mostly Regulus’ design, contrary to what Reg had told you. He never gave himself enough credit.  
“It’s just, I’ve never had a great role model for how support works in a relationship. The best I have in Sirius and Remus, which can get a little awkward. I mean, he’s my brother. And James and Lily, well, those are more Sirius’ friends than mine.” You lifted his head back up a little. “My parents weren’t exactly the ideal match.”  
You smiled. “Mine weren’t either. But, just follow your own instincts. If it makes you happy, do it.” You shrugged. “And I’m happy here. So, in my eyes, you’re doing perfectly.”  
Regulus smiled up at you, chuckling lightly. It was nice to hear him laugh. “You’re such a sap. You know that?”  
You grinned. “Yeah. But, you asked this sap to marry you. There’s no turning back now, is there?” you teased. Regulus shook his head, taking your hand.   
“No. No turning back.”


End file.
